Tuesday, July 1, 2014

Using the Law to Push a Moral Agenda

I have heard this phrase several time recently, and have had some thoughts rattling around. I thought I would give them some place else to rattle.

Warning - This is very likely to be offensive, Dark, and Disturbing.
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Yeah, we should totally get rid of all the laws on the books that are there merely to push some group's moral agenda.

Let's start with drugs and alcohol. What is it with age limits? Why can a 21 year old have a beer, but a 19 year old can't? Most of the rest of the world has a lower age limit; some have no limit. Clearly there is nothing universal about it. And why do I have to get a note from a doctor to get prescription meds? The drug store has it for sale, I have money, and a need. Why does the government get involved in the middle? Who am I hurting (other than possibly myself) if I take a little codeine every night, to help me sleep? If I want to do heroin in my house, and I can afford it, who are you to tell me I can't?

Now about theft. Is stealing really wrong? You say so, but that is just your moral opinion. There have been cultures which celebrated, even revered thieves. Isn't robin hood considered a hero to most? It's human nature to take what we want. Look at little babies. They see something, they want it, they take it.

What about rape? I understand they have found a gene that makes some people prone to this behavior. We have accepted the gay gene, why not the rape gene? Why does it get treated differently?

And again with age or relation limitations - with respect to sexual behavior. The rest of the planets animals don't seem to care. I've raised chickens long enough to know the rooster doesn't treat mom, sister or child any differently than any other hen. We throw the term "Pedophile" around. Why not pedo-sexual? It has a genetic marker as well, so it is apparently a natural phenomenon.

And so many laws regarding killing... Let's be honest. killing is as natural as it gets. In fact it serves several beneficial purposes. The stronger, faster, smarter, creatures prey upon the slower, weaker, dumber creatures. It serves to improve the overall genetic quality of the survivors, it serves to control the population size... Death is part of a healthy ecosystem. And by artificially preventing death, we allow inferior humans to propagate their inferior genes. It is a necessary function of evolution.

And let's face it, we humans do take to it quite readily. When in all of history has there NOT been at least one war going on somewhere? When we aren't at war, we involve ourselves in the wars of others. If that option isn't available to us, we come up with other ways to engage in conflict. We create gangs. We divide into conflicting groups over almost anything, and then push the boundaries of violence in spite of all the laws put in place to restrain our natural urge. Why just last week a woman at a gathering that was all about peace and love and taking care of the environment stabbed a man who asked her to stop honking her horn like a crazy for 30 minutes.

And if we can't participate in war or burgeoning violence we spectate violence. Football, WWF, MMA, Boxing... We yearn for the conflict, we chafe at the laws which suppress our instinct to kill. Even the old sports - running, javelin, shot put, wrestling.... They were just ways for warriors to practice, and stay conditioned for the next war.

Some of course will try to argue that "God said..." Which God? Mars is the God of war, I don't think he cares. You mean the Old Testament God who arbitrarily gave commands to one nation of people to entirely wipe out another nation?
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If you find yourself agreeing with any of the above, get your head checked. Please.

ALL laws are "someone Pushing some moral agenda". Life is precious because we as a group collectively decided it was so, or because we as a people collectively believe in a God or gods who have "told us" it is so. Drugs are regulated because we collectively have decided that they must be regulated in order to protect the young, the less fortunate, the less educated, the innocent bystander, or those more prone to addiction. Theft is wrong because we, or our deity of choice said so. Families are supposed to look act and function in certain ways because we believe it benefits us as a collective group, or because that is our religious doctrine.

Regardless of where the line is drawn, unless you live under the rule of a dictator, or tyrannical regime, the line is drawn where the group chose to draw it. Yes, they "pushed their morals" in exactly the same way that you are trying to "push your morals".